From Brushstrokes to Pen Strokes The Art of Makeup School Moves to Portland

Celena Rubin's dream of opening a makeup school in Oregon has come to pass

Celena Rubin, owner of the Art of Makeup School in Portland, Oregon, oversees a student's progress

"It was a huge step to uproot my family and move to Oregon - all with the hopes of starting my own makeup school" - Celena Rubin

PORTLAND, OR, November 01, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Celena Rubin's dream of opening a makeup school in Oregon has come to pass. It was a long road that took her to the halls of the Oregon State Legislature, opening and running a school in Vancouver, WA, and finally moving her school to Portland. The Art of Makeup School is now open and is planning an open house on November 11, 2017 (time - 6pm to 9pm).

The Art of Makeup School is the Northwest's premier school of makeup artistry, providing training to work in the film, television, theatrical and print advertising industries. The school is now located across from Portland Community College - Sylvania Campus and features two main classrooms, special effects laboratory, photo studio, and retail space. The school is designed to accommodate an intimate and focused learning environment where 8 to 12 students per classroom are able to get specialized training and attention in the art and science of makeup application. Licensed by the Oregon Department of Higher Education (Higher Education Coordinating Commission), the school features some of the top teachers in the industry, guest lecturers, and even Emmy Award Winning special effects artist - Thomas Surprenant (who also helped design The Art of Makeup School Character & FX Program).

Celena Rubin, the owner of The Art of Makeup School, is a makeup artist by trade who spent many years in Los Angeles working in the industry (film, television, fashion and advertising media) including 17 years for ABC's network national news programs such as Good Morning America, 20/20, and This Week with George Stephanopoulos, working alongside high profile politicians and presidents. Despite a successful career as a free-lance makeup artist, in 2011 she decided to get out of Los Angeles and move to Portland. "Portland is beautiful and is a smaller more family oriented community to raise my daughter in. It was a huge step to uproot my family and move to Oregon - all with the hopes of starting my own makeup school."

Celena and her husband John Nutcher soon found out that Oregon had very different regulations surrounding makeup application. Oregon had laws stating that only someone with a Cosmetology license could apply makeup. If you were an experienced, professionally trained makeup artist and wanted to work in Oregon, you had to have a Cosmetology license. They decided to open their school in Vancouver, since Washington State has similar regulations as California. The couple soon found that the Vancouver school location was to be a success, attracting students from all over the US and abroad.

Still, they wanted to see if the State of Oregon would be willing to amend the laws to allow makeup artists access to the booming local film and television industry, out of state productions coming to Oregon to film, and the local hub of sports fashion advertising, due to iconic brands such as Nike, Columbia, and Adidas locating their headquarters in Portland. Celena and John made the case that those regulations limit who is able to work and be a support to those industries in Oregon (including Celena herself) and backed by the support of others in the film industry, brought the issue to the Capitol. They were right. With 100% bi-partisan support, the law was changed in 2013 with an emergency bill championed by senator Ginny Burdick and Representative Jennifer Williamson. Celena and John also proposed another bill in 2015 around hair styling - also passing with 100% support.

The couple, living in Oregon and running a successful school in Vancouver for several years, also came across their next big challenge in 2017 - traffic. "We decided to move our school to Portland because of two big factors - the laws were now changed, and we were spending too much time on the road!"

They found a perfect new location across from Portland Community College - Sylvania Campus. The Art of Makeup has already cultivated many relationships with the Portland production community, including local independent film makers and production companies, The Oregon Ballet Theater, The NW Film Center, and fashion designers, all who they've been able to offer student jobs and work experience through their work placement job board. Classes have begun at the new location, and both Celena and John are excited to finally have their school in Portland!

The Art of Makeup School is Northwest's only Makeup school dedicated to training students in the art and science of makeup for film, TV, print and fashion. Located at 11830 Kerr PKWY #211, Portland, OR 97035